‘It’s intimidating’: Ottawa residents furious about Canada trucker protests
Protesters are digging in as Ottawa police are expected to begin to take action against the trucker protest occupation that has clogged the centre of the Canadian capital for almost three weeks. Interim police chief Steve Bell says they are ready to use methods people are “not used to seeing” and it will take a few days.
Under the Emergencies Act invoked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, law enforcement officials have the ability to arrest people for obstruction of roadways and disruptive behaviour within a no-go exclusion zone. Authorities also have the power to seize vehicles and freeze bank accounts.
Mr Trudeau, who has called the protests against a Covid mandate for truckers and other restrictions an “illegal occupation”, reportedly resorted to the emergency powers following a second weekend of protests, three sources told Reuters.
On Wednesday, leaflets were handed out to the occupants of vehicles parked in the area around parliament warning them to go or face criminal charges. A ban on the use of airhorns has been extended for 60 days. On Thursday morning there were no signs of the convoy moving on.
A row has also erupted over the naming of donors to the Canadian trucker protest, with both Fox News host Tucker Carlson and US Democratic representative Ilhan Omar accusing the media of inciting violence by making public the names of people who donated to the protesters.
In parliament: Deputy PM confirms banks already taking steps against protesters
In parliament, Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland says financial services providers have already taken action based on powers in the Emergencies Act.
There are reports from the Ottawa streets that truckers and protest organisers have found their accounts have already been frozen.
Ms Freeland repeats that if your truck is being used in this protest your corporate accounts will be frozen and your insurance will be suspended.
“It is time for you to go home,” she says, adding there is zero tolerance for the establishment of new protests or blockades.
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 16:40
Relatively quiet outside parliament while MPs debate Emergencies Act
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 16:32
Police action so far limited to more intense leaflet
It appears that police action in downtown Ottawa is so far limited to the distribution of a more intense leaflet.
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 16:15
Class action suit against protest grows
A proposed class-action lawsuit over the Ottawa protests has added Union 613 and Happy Goat Coffee as plaintiffs, joining Zexi Li — the original plaintiff — as the claim expands to include a class of businesses.
Geoffrey Devaney, a server at the ByWard Market, has also joined as a plaintiff, representing a potential class of employees who have lost wages.
The size of the claim has grown to $306m.
Lawyer Paul Champ has also added protest donors and individual truckers as defendants, telling them they should leave town now. He also offers to settle with them individually if they come forward now.
“We will find you,” he warns.
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 16:05
AOC mocks Fox analyst for comparing Canadian trucker convoy to MLK
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has joined a wave of critics mocking Fox News guest and law professor Jonathan Turley after he compared what is happening with Canada’s “freedom convoy” to Martin Luther King.
Mr Turley, of George Washington University, said what the truckers were doing in Ottowa was “civil disobedience” and called it “good trouble”, adopting a phrase from the late civil rights icon and US Representative John Lewis.
Jade Bremner reports.
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 15:50
Elon Musk ramps up criticism of Trudeau with ‘extremely poor taste’ Hitler tweet
SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk has ramped up his criticism of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a Hitler meme in response to a report about Canada sanctioning cryptocurrency wallets connected to the trucker protests.
Musk posted a meme showing a a picture of Hitler with the caption “Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau. I had a budget.”
Twitter users were unimpressed, calling the tweet “not funny”, “extremely poor taste”, and “a new low”.
One user wrote: “Trucker disruptions on the US-Canada border are massively disruptive to the auto industry (but not @Tesla)… so @elonmusk has an incentive to promote these disruptions. But the Adolph meme is too much, and offensive.”
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 15:32
Ottawa Police reiterate warning to demonstrators
Under provincial and federal legislation, you will face severe penalties if you do not cease further unlawful activity and remove your vehicle and/or property immediately from all unlawful protest sites.
- You may be arrested and charged with criminal offences including but not limited to mischief, and potentially charged with a variety of other non-criminal offences.
- Your vehicle and property may be seized or removed.
- Your driver’s licence may be suspended or cancelled.
- CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration) certificates may be suspended or cancelled.
- Your personal or business bank accounts, including virtual currency, may be subject to examination and restriction.
- If you bring a minor (a person under 18) with you to an unlawful protest site, you may be charged and fined up to $5,000 and/or potentially spend up to five years in prison.
- Those who are delivering fuel and other supplies to those taking part in the unlawful demonstration can be charged.
- Persons traveling to any other unlawful protest sites to participate in or support the unlawful demonstration can be charged.
- Be aware that legislation now prohibits interference with any critical infrastructure including 400-series highways, railways, airports and international border crossings.
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 15:21
Trudeau says protests ‘threat’ to Canadian democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the continuing trucker occupation and protests a “threat” to Canadian democracy.
Mr Trudeau made the statement in a letter to the country’s premiers to justify use of the Emergencies Act.
He said that vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 restrictions were “no longer the motivation of many of the participants and organisers.”
“We are seeing activity that is a threat to our democracy and that is undermining the public’s trust in our institutions,” Mr Trudeau wrote.
“The Government of Canada believes firmly in the right to peaceful protest. But as we discussed, the activities taking place across the country have gone well beyond peaceful protest.”
Providing some clarity about the scope of the act, Mr Trudeau wrote: “This is not about displacing provincial or territorial jurisdiction, or superseding measures you have in place. This is about supplementing measures in your jurisdiction with additional legal authorities to give local law enforcement the maximum leverage to be able to uphold the rule of law and deal with the situation we are facing.”
He added: “We are not proposing to have the RCMP or any other authority supplant local law enforcement; rather, we wish to expand the range of tools available to law enforcement at all levels.”
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Justin Trudeau
(AFP via Getty Images)
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 15:02
A warning to protesting pet owners
After yesterday’s warning to those at the trucker protest to make alternative childcare arrangements following the threat of arrest and the confiscation of vehicles, a similar notice has been set out today regarding any pets in the convoy.
“Attention animal owners at demonstration — If you are unable to care for your animal as a result of enforcement actions, your animal will placed into protective care for 8 days, at your cost. After 8 days, if arrangements are not made, your animal will be considered relinquished.”
Oliver O’Connell17 February 2022 14:46
